


Codex Entries on The Mahariels

by TheReviewess



Series: Heroics Run In The Family [22]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Codex Entries (Dragon Age), F/F, Named Mahariel (Dragon Age), Warden Mahariel (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-01-31 10:02:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21444406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReviewess/pseuds/TheReviewess
Summary: There are many Codex Entries on the famed Mahariel Elves scattered through Thedas. This is just a place to organize them.
Relationships: Leliana/Female Mahariel (Dragon Age), Leliana/Female Warden, Leliana/Mahariel
Series: Heroics Run In The Family [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1095366
Comments: 11
Kudos: 18





	1. An Interview with the Hero and Inquisitor

**Interviews between the Hero and the Inquisitor (001):**   
Upon meeting the notorious Hero of Ferelden, and newly named Warden of the South, one would not believe her to be the cold, angry, and volatile elf she was once described to be. Even she laughs when questioned about that side of her.   
  
“Truth be told, I was an elf caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She says before popping another piece of cheese in her mouth.    
  
We have only been sitting here for five minutes and she has eaten half of a cheese plate. Half. The other half was eaten by the young Inquisitor. The child of the famed hero, and a young elf that has become a hero in her own right.   
  
“I guess you could say that heroics run in the family.” The Inquisitor said with a polite smile.    
  
All and all, this will be an interesting interview.

  
**Interviews between the Hero and the Inquisitor (002):**

  
The beginning is always rough for many famed heroes. Both the Warden and the Inquisitor are no exceptions to that. One became a traitor in her own land and another became a heretic.   
  
“That really wasn't the bad part, to be honest.” The Hero said casually, now starting on their second tray of cheese. There are various types of cheese, even some coming all the way from Seheron and Par Vollen. It has been rumored that both elves are held in high regard by the Arishok, so much so that he sends them cheese from his homeland.

It is also rumored that the Arishok is scared of the Warden, but many doubt that highly. From what I have observed, he likely is just terrified at how much cheese she can consume in one sitting.   
  
“Since we're Dalish, we really didn't have a homeland, so I didn't care that I was branded a traitor to Ferelden. It just made my work bloody fucking difficult.” 

She goes on to explain, and begins to list every small inconvenience she had during the Blight, to include running out of cheese. I am unsure why running out of cheese was such a tragedy, but the young Inquisitor looked horrified at the thought.   
  
“And I really don't care about the Chantry,” The young Inquisitor says with a shrug. Her response not as shocking as it should be, given that she put a mage of all things on the Sunburst Throne, but I digress.    
  
“We had more important things on our mind.” The Inquisitor adds after a moment.   
  
Given that the point of this interview was to understand their thoughts and how they changed over their tenure, I felt it best to get some answers.   
  
“Look. Do you have a wife? Kids? People that you love?” The Hero asked bluntly.    
  
I do. My beautiful wife had just given me my first son a few months before. We are all very thrilled about it.   
  
“Now imagine you and your wife was walking through some fancy gardens or whatever the fuck you fancy pants people do,” The Hero told me, “Then, she's murdered right in front of you by some weird mumbo-jumbo shit that is definitely Not-Magic and then you pass out and almost die. A few days later you wake up to a dead wife, a terrified son and also now have some incurable plague that will kill everyone you come into contact with if you stay around them too long.”   
  
Her methods may be crude and unorthodox, but Warden Mahariel certainly paints a gruesome picture. Her words bring forth thoughts I have no wish to ever think about.   
  
“And the only way to save yourself is to go join the good fight against this mumbo-jumbo shit that is definitely Not-Magic because the people who do that shit for a living can cure your incurable plague. Because it's only incurable to everyone but these people. Oh, and you have to leave right now. Bye. Go away. Your son? Too bad, so sad. Get your ass moving right now because you need to go right away. Hope you have some nice people that will look after him because you're definitely not going to see him again, ever. Probably.”   
  
As she speaks she gets angered. There is a sharpness in those green eyes and she is snarling as she speaks. Fingers tightened along the arm of the sofa, her knuckles growing white as every second passed.    
  
“Imagine all of that, and then you might have some insight about why I acted the way I acted. That was my concern, not silly Shem and their politics.”   
  
For an elf unconcerned with humans and their politics, the Hero has since found herself solving many issues in the world of humans.   
  
The Inquisitor laughs at my statement. She makes some humans always need an elf to swoop in and save the day. The Warden makes a comment about how swooping is bad and the two laugh. There is a joke I clearly do not understand, but I let it go. There is only so much one person can understand about these two elves.   
  
**Interviews between the Hero and the Inquisitor (003):**

  
After understanding the Warden's mindset, the question on my tongue is what kind of person she felt she was during the Blight.   
  
“Which part?” She asks with a grin. “There was a lot of different parts. And a lot of different emotions going on there. I wasn't just one person the whole time.”   
  
At this point the Inquisitor has laid claim to her own cheese tray, content to sit back and listen. It was decided to start with the Warden's story and then move on to the younger elf's later, as it was not as long.   
  
“I was definitely stone cold, but also a raging bitch with, what did they say? A firey temper? Not sure how one person can be firey but also stone cold, but whatever.”    
  
Her amusement in the dichotomy between firey and stone cold is not lost on me.   
  
“It was just one wild ride. Let's put it like that.”    
  
She refuses to elaborate, opting to eat more cheese instead.    
  
The Inquisitor teases her by tossing a bit of cheese at her and calling her boring, but the Warden ignores her jibe… and eats the thrown bit of cheese. After some booing from her child, the Warden relents.   
  
“I mean, I was angry, yeah. I was mad at a lot of people and a lot of things. To the point when there was a time I nearly just gave up.”    
  
The Warden gave the Inquisitor a look. Even as I write this, I am unable to find the right words to explain it.   
  
“But I had to keep going. And I'm glad I did. Not because I'm some big hotshot, but because it changed my world. Well, my view on the world. I learned that blood magic isn't inherently bad, and blood mages can be good people. Qunari can be soft and have a fine appreciation for nature and the arts. Contrary to popular belief, dwarves do not eat dirt… though they do quite a bit of drinking. And, humans aren't all bad. Some of them are good people.”   
  
Before I can even think, I ask if her opinion on elves changed during her travels.   
  
“While I do not think that there is a superior race of people, I will say that the elves are probably the closest to superior as one can get.”

Excuse me?   
  
“Ma!”   
  
The Warden laughs. Not a polite laugh that can be found in the courts of Kings and Empresses. This is a belly laugh, like someone just told the funniest joke in all of Thedas.   
  
“Oh, your reactions were great! I haven't laughed like this in a while! Didn't laugh too much during the Blight. Was too busy being a hard ass, just ask my Wardens.”    
  
No one needs to do that. That part comes across quite often. To see the Warden joke is an interesting change of pace from the Warden the world often saw.   
  
“Nah. Like all races we have good eggs and then some down right bad eggs. I encountered both in my travels. I think seeing a bad egg among the Dalish really helped open my eyes to the fact that there were good and bad people in all races. Just sometimes we only see the good or only see the bad. We just need to keep our eyes open more.”   
  
Her insight was interesting, but the Warden decided she was finished talking, opting to focus more on the cheese in front of her.   
  
“Most humans are shit stains, though. You people need to get your acts together. Once you realize that you aren't the Creators' gift to Thedas, your lives will probably get a lot easier.”   
  
I ask her whether or not she thinks she Andraste and the Maker's gift to Thedas.   
  
“I stopped an entire Blight before the rest of the world figured out what was happening, and, most importantly, I gave birth to the Inquisitor.” The Warden said with a cocky grin. “If your Maker or Andraste exists, and has given any gift to Thedas, then who knows? I just might be.”   
  
**Interviews between the Hero and the Inquisitor (004):**

  
After the Warden's interesting statement, my attention turned to the young Inquisitor. Though, like her mother, she had little interest in sharing her tale.   
  
“I mean, I never cared for the Chantry. Still don't to be honest.”    
  
She is very casual about this, but this is the same platform that the young elf has been standing on since the beginning of her tenure.   
  
“So being a heretic wasn't a big deal. I mean, I am a heretic still. If we're being honest, I was more concerned about this one.”   
  
At this point the Warden has somehow found a large bowl of melted cheese, and some pieces of bread. Apparently they had run out of cheese trays and resorted to melted cheese with an assortment of foods to dip in it. If my readers learn nothing about the two famous elves, they will at least be aware of their love of cheese.   
  
Perhaps the elves have more in common with their fellow Fereldens than they believe.   
  
“I didn't know where she was, if she was alright, and even if she was alive. And, as time went on and we realized what was happening with Corypheus, I became even more worried.”   
  
“She's a worrier. Been that way since she was a girl.”   
  
“Having your father tragically killed and your mother taken away from you, and to what likely would be her untimely death in the span of a few days will do that to you.”   
  
The Warden quiets after that. Her teasing face shifts to resemble someone who was just slapped across the face. Her attention turns back to her cheese.   
  
We are all silent for a moment until the Warden takes her cheese and walks out of the room.    
  
“She doesn't like to be reminded of that. I think it makes her feel like she's a bad mother, but she isn't. She saved all of Thedas just to keep me safe. She went to the ends of the world just to try and have more time with me.”   
  
The Inquisitor's tone is soft, but she has a small smile on her face as she watches the door. She's kept an eye on it ever since the Warden left.   
  
“When I was little, other kids would argue with me and say they had the best mother, but I'm pretty sure I win that battle, hands down.”   
  
We both laugh. I realize that neither the Inquisitor nor the Warden will talk more about their life or travels. It seems clear they have no desire to relive those moments. So, I opt for the next best thing. The relationship between the two women, and the woman known as Lady Nightingale.   
  
The question makes the Inquisitor smile.   
  
“Well, in my life you have Shema, and you have Ma. I'll give you three guesses as to who is who, and the first two don't count.”


	2. The Great Elves of the Dragon Age: An Introduction to Aerinwyn Mahariel: The Hero of Ferelden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A codex entry on Aerinwyn Mahariel, as written by her lover, Leliana. The following is a except from a book later written by Leliana on the heroic elves of the Dragon Age. This is one of many drafts scattered throughout Thedas, though this is likely the first, given the commentary written in the margins by one Aerinwyn Mahariel.

The Great Elves of the Dragon Age

An Introduction to Aerinwyn Mahariel: The Hero of Ferelden

ROUGH DRAFT

Dalish Elves are interesting people, no? They are independent, proud of their heritage and way of life, and strong. They are all this and more because they must. It was the only way they would survive. So when talking about two of the greatest Heroes in all of Thedas (I may be slightly biased in that assessment), one must keep this in mind.

The first hero, Aerinwyn Mahariel was a woman who truly paved the way for other elves to become successful. Many stories touch on her inner strength and her silver tongue, but this is not all she is. If that was the case, everyone would stop asking me to describe her and I could finally have one day where people stop asking me about what the Warden was  _ really  _ like. Honestly.

Mahariel is a great many things. She is a great Hunter and a natural leader, with all the charisma (and cunning) to match. While she may not look or act like it, she is a marvelous player in the Great Game, though she absolutely detests it. There was one time she threw an entire pot of tea at– well, we are getting off topic, actually. The point is that she is a very cunning little elf, just not in the ways people expect her to be. Those who underestimate her seldom emerge victorious over her, just ask Teryn Loghain.

Oh, wait.

So she is cunning, charismatic, but during the Blight, she was cold. She did not open up to anyone, opting to stay off to the side, speak only when needed, and silently judge everyone. 

<strike> _ I DID NOT! _ _ _ </strike>

The only thing our merry band of misfits knew about this Dalish is that she lost everything and was forced from her Clan to join the Wardens. She was not happy, she lashed out at anyone who stepped out of line, and honestly, it was terrifying. Effective, but terrifying. When people talk of the  Legendary Mahariel Temper , they are not exaggerating. It has slightly calmed down over time, but to be on the receiving end of it is actually terrifying. I once watched her scare a dwarf of the Warrior Caste so much with just her words that he wet himself. It was disgusting actually and I have no desire to see it again (or smell it). And the rumors that the Arishok is a little scared of her? Also true.

<strike> _ WILL YOU STOP WRITING THESE LIES? _ </strike>

It took a few months, but soon enough she opened up to us all. It was a most unfortunate accident that made her open up, but we were glad for it all the same. It made her seem like a, well elf, and less like an imposing tiny judgemental entity that oversaw our every actions and criticized us for the smallest mistakes.

Eventually we all learned the most interesting facts about our Warden. Like most people know, she loves cheese. This is very common knowledge now, however it took us a few months to learn how much she loved cheese. She loves cheese so much that for the longest time we just believed that she could magically pull cheese out of nowhere. It took almost the entire time that we traveled during the Blight to realize that she kept an entire wheel of cheese in her pack. when we would arrive in small towns, or cities, she would purchase what she called her “Emergency Cheese” or her “Emergen-Cheese” as Alistair called it. It was only after we were leaving the Deep Roads you did she run out of this cheese and we all realized that she kept an entire wheel in her pack.

Another lovely fact about her is that most of the time she did not sleep in a tent. Some days she would sleep under the stars, because that is what a Dalish elf does, supposedly. And other times, she would sleep on a rather thick tree branch. Usually these tree branches were only for short naps, but occasionally she would sleep through the night on one. After falling one too many times, she quickly learned to tie herself to a tree.

<strike> _ YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE! _ _ _ </strike>

<strike> I have no idea what you are talking about, now please stop writing on my manuscript.  </strike>

There are other more interesting facts to be sure, but they are ones that only I consider interesting and not worth anyone's time. After all, no one is really going to read this part. We all know people are going to skip to the grand fighting and other parts.

<strike> _ YOU BETTER NOT BE WRITING ABOUT THAT ONE TIME IN ORZAMMAR. _ _ _ </strike>

But before you skip on, it is best to have a good understanding of the physical traits that make up our Warden. First, one must picture a typical elven woman. Once you have that, make them short. Like the size of a _very _tall dwarf and then you now know how tall she is. After we turn to the hair. The Warden had <strike>_HAS! I'M NOT GREY YET!_</strike> The prettiest Auburn hair. It was dark, but the prettiest mix of brown and red than anyone has seen. It always reminds me of the sky as dusk. When we first met, it was often held back in a ponytail, but outside of it, it could reach mid back. Her almond shaped eyes are the brightest green, like spring leaves in the Brecilian Forest. Her features are sharper than most elves, due to many years of eating only what she needed, if she could. Even with this sharpness, she still resembled a young woman, being only 26. She even has the cutest little nose that turns up ever so slightly, and it seems that she has one eyebrow that is constantly raised due to her many years of “dealing with stupid Shem”.

Her shoulders and back are far more muscular than one could imagine. If I am being completely truthful, the Warden is very lean and muscular almost everywhere. And her legs! Well, I shall spare the details. The Warden does not have curves expected of a woman, but as a woman and an Archer, this is a good thing. Breasts only get in the way. And, ladies, all you need is a nice handful, if anyone says you need more than that and you should find a new suitor. Moving on. What the Warden “lacks” in breasts, she certainly makes up for in other places. Years of hunting did her well in that aspect, and I certainly do not mind. 

And, like many Dalish, she never wore shoes. Even in the snow. Though, for the snow she wore a waterproof sock like garment on her feet. Though most of the time, socks were strange to her.

You see, she does not think herself to be so cute, but she is actually quite attractive.

<strike> _ YOU MIGHT BE BIASED _ </strike>

With all this in mind, one might be able to picture the Warden in question. Or at least, the Warden when she was younger.

<strike> _ WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY? WE'RE THE SAME DAMN AGE! _ </strike>

So now that you have this, I believe it will help you understand her story more. 


	3. The Rock Halla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Codex Entry: A Brief Introduction to the Infamous Rock Halla, a precious heirloom to Clan Mahariel.

**The Rock Halla**

It is said that back during the Inquisition of the Dragon Age, the Rock Halla was given as a gift. The companions of Inquisitor Faenra Mahariel Lavellan had gifted her the rock as a pet. Author Varric Tethras wrote in his book how the gift had started off as “innocent question posed by Cole.” Cole was a spirit of Compassion that had inhabited a body and served his time in the Inquisition. There is very little written about Cole, but what had been recorded only states that this Cole is a Spirit of Compassion that “wanted to help the hurt”, according to the diary of Mahariel Lavellan. After his disappearance following the demise of Fen'Harel, not much is written about him.

Since its existence, it was said that the Rock Halla brought great luck to those in possession of it. Some believe it is due to an unintended blessing given by the spirit, Cole. Whether or not it is true, the Mahariel line has been incredibly successful in all their endeavors in the past few ages. Aside from the Hero of Ferelden, Aerinwyn Mahariel, all other notable heroes from that line have had the Rock Halla in their possession. 

Today the Rock Halla resides on the Mahariel Land deep in the Forest of Schmooples, kept safe by the current Keeper Mahariel. It has become somewhat of an idol amongst the elves, many making a pilgrimage to see it.

  * A Brief Introduction to the Rock Halla by Norielle Mahariel, the Senior Archivist of Clan Mahariel for her presentation to the University of Orlais, 12:62 Light.


	4. A Page from the Book: All This Shit Is Weird, by Varric Tethras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Codex Entry: A Page from the book: All This Shit Is Weird, by Varric Tethras on a Secret Room in Skyhold

**A Page from the book: All This Shit Is Weird, by Varric Tethras**

Now, there was a secret room in Skyhold. Secret in the way that it was a good place where you could get up to no good if you didn't have a place to do that. Servants, mages, even the occasional soldier would use it from time to time, especially since their quarters were less… private than those up in the keep. So the secret room was a good room. A good, secret, if you will.

But, there was only one secret room (at least, only one that anyone found out about), and it was always in quite high demand. So, it often happened that an unlucky couple would get their… fun time, interrupted.

Such was the case with the poor Inquisitor. Not that she was interrupted, she had her own quarters and made use of them when she needed to (not that anyone knew what exactly happened there, and trust me, many wanted to), but she was the interruptee.

What seemed to be a normal day for the Inquisitor turned into a living nightmare. Or one of her nightmares come to life.

As fate would have it, the young Dalish had been knocked off kilter when a servant rushed out into the hall with arms full of an unidentified bundle of things. In the young Lavallan's attempt to regain her balance, she had knocked into the one brick that unlocked the secret room, and her body went sailing into the door of the room, which opened and she fell flat on her back.

Unfortunately, what was seen inside the secret room was nothing short of disturbing to the poor Inquisitor, who just screamed,

"CAN YOU NOT?!" Before scrambling away as fast as her legs could take her.

To this day it is completely unknown what sort of sight greeted the poor Inquisitor, but it was clearly traumatizing. So traumatizing that she had to drown her sorrows in whatever alcohol she could find. And, it was observed that she went to a great effort to avoid Leliana, the Inquisitions Spymaster, for the next few days, and the visiting Hero of Ferelden. This was strange, given that the Hero was actually the mother of the Inquisitor (which really made her Inquisitor Mahariel, but she kept the name Lavellan because dropping it would apparently confuse everyone), and Leliana had helped raise her from the age of eleven. 

Alas, some perhaps secrets, be them rooms or horrifying images that haunt you forever, are best left to be just that. Secrets.


	5. A Story Through Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Codex Entry: A series of letters found in the Chantry Archived, recovered from the Hero of Ferelden, Knight-Commander Meredith, and Sister Nightingale. Records say they are dated not too long before the Knight-Commander's decent into insanity, when the young Inquisitor was accidentally taken to the Gallows as an apostate.

Ma,

It happened again… Sorry… The blood mage attacks here are getting out of control and I had to defend myself! I had no choice!!! A bunch found me when I was trying to come find you guys and they attacked and by the time I finished them off, the Templars found me! I'm in Kirkwall this time, at the Gallows. And they didn't believe my note! The Knight-Commander herself claimed it was a forgery and ripped it up in front of my face! Come get me please! They threw me in isolation because I may have told some Templar to use his head as a mop because it would be more useful than hovering over me and then he dragged me to isolation and so I spat on him and told him to go fuck himself with a broom handle… so yeah. Please save me.

Fae

Please don't ground me again. This wasn't my fault this time, I swear!

* * *

Knight-Commander of Kirkwall,

This is an official notification from the Grey Wardens. It has come to our attention that you have wrongfully captured a young elven mage that was on official Grey Warden business. This letter is proof that the mage, Faenra Mahariel, is in fact, working with the Wardens and, as such, she falls under the jurisdiction of the Grey Wardens not the Circle or Chantry. If the young Mahariel mage is not promptly released to us, the consequences for your actions, and the actions of your Templars, will be severe.

Master Aerinwyn Mahariel, Hero of Ferelden, Warden Commander of Ferelden, Warden Commander of The Free Marches, Arlessa of Amaranthine, Champion of Redcliffe, et cetera et cetera, Slayer of Archdemons and Kicker of Asses.

_ Written underneath that, with horrible penmanship: _

RELEASE HER NOW OR I WILL KICK YOUR SORRY ASS INTO THE FUCKING OCEAN YOU CRAZY NITWIT

* * *

To the Most Holy, Divine Justinia

I am writing to you about an event that transpired in Kirkwall. No doubt you have heard of an incident regarding The Hero of Ferelden and myself. I assure you it was a simple misunderstanding that the Hero took out of context and lashed out. The Warden Commander went too far in her actions. She destroyed my office, nearly killed a few of my Templars, shoved my Knight-Captain's head into a bucket of water while yelling at him to use his head as a mop because "you certainly don't know how to think with it," and something about a broom handle that I am quite unsure about. And if that was not enough, she physically kicked me down the steps of the Gallows and into the water below, but not before brutally assaulting me. I and still recovering from the incident.

I humbly request, Most Holy, that something be done about this. The Hero of Ferelden has gone too far and is out of control now that she has achieved some sort of notoriety. The Dalish Heretic must be put in her place.

Sincerely,

Knight-Commander Meredith

The Gallows, Kirkwall

* * *

Knight-Commander Meredith,

She did warn you.

Sister Nightingale.


End file.
